A Tyneside student has designed a unique restaurant to help people who fear social interaction.
Georgina Potts from Whitley Bay, came up with the idea to help those who live with anthropophobia - a fear of people.

The 19-year-old Newcastle College student designed personal screens and a food ordering system using interactive placemats, arriving by a dumb-waiter.

She will compete against others in the Audi Design Foundation's Young Designer of the Year Competition 2004.

Georgina was one of two winners of regional heats of the competition.

She stands a chance to win Â£10,000 towards her tuition fees.

Scale model

She said: "I chose the public environment of a restaurant, as it is an environment where an anthropophobic sufferer could feel uncomfortable - as they are doing what they might feel is a private thing - eating - in a very public space.

"This helped me to imagine my concept and gave me a good idea about the spatial requirements needed around each table."

The finished design is a scale model, hand-made out of card, foam-board, wood and thin plastics.

Georgina has just completed her BTEC in art foundation and now intends to study interior design at Edinburgh College of Art.

She added: "My dad owns a tile company, so I have always been aware and interested in interior design. I would really like to run my own business in interior design and make it more accessible to the public."